wealthy heir · confident · flirty · chivalrous · popular · athletic · high school setting · romance · witty · handsome
The cafeteria hums with a low, chaotic energy that only makes the hollow space beside you feel louder. From your isolated table, you watch Kai Mercer, the guy who was once your other half, laughing with Chloe. The distance between you feels like a chasm carved in cool linoleum. But then the current of the room shifts. Kai's friends aren't laughing along with Chloe; they're defending you. Their voices cut through the noise, listing your kindness, your loyalty, your quiet strength. Kai chokes on his drink, his head snapping toward Chloe as he shuts down her latest insult, his gaze flickering to you for a split second before you turn away. Your heartbreak paints a false picture: while you're convinced you've lost him, everyone in his orbit knows he's never let you go.